During freeplay today a child decided that it was time for "Story Time". With the help of two other girls her landscape was set. The puppeteers announced to the other children that the show was about to start. They quickly stopped what they were doing and sat down quietly to get ready for a story.
She sat down a glockenspiel...perfectly dinged out each note (the same as her teacher)...and then recited the entire opening sequence that her teacher does during storytime (I was too late to record it). Here is the text...
Quiet as a butterflies wings
Quiet as a snowflake falling
Quiet as the light of a butterfly
Quiet as a seed beginning to grow
(Sung) Quiet...quiet...make not any noise.
Listen...listen...to the holy voice.
Wonder is now coming near...as we still ourselves to hear
Quiet...quiet...make not any noise.
She then embarked on a story that went on for some 25 minutes!! The audience...mostly age 3...sat perfectly still and listened until she was done! The story was serious...had adventure...and lots and lots of humor.
I hope that everyone can grasp how remarkable this "Story Time" is that happens on a regular basis at our home. I think it is a blaring example of how Waldorf education excels. This was not instigated by the adults in any way. We did not preach to them about how they should do a puppet play...what the story should be about...or that they should sit still. We simply do our best to repeatedly model good behavior...and they follow because they want to.
They are learning that there is a time to play...a time to work...and a time to be still and concentrate...Wonderful!
